


Masquerade

by haldoor



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010), Lost
Genre: Alternate Universe, Case Fic, Crossover, M/M, Porn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-30
Updated: 2013-11-10
Packaged: 2017-12-30 22:49:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1024317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haldoor/pseuds/haldoor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><b>Warnings/Spoilers:</b> Not for either show<br/><b>Disclaimer:</b> I don't own H50, Lost, or any of the characters from either show.  I claim the OCs mentioned, though they are minor characters.  I make no money from my wild imaginings.<br/><b>Beta:</b> Once again, <span class="ljuser i-ljuser"></span><a href="http://siluria.livejournal.com/profile"><img class="i-ljuser-userhead"/></a><a class="i-ljuser-username" href="http://siluria.livejournal.com/"></a><b>siluria</b> was on deck to point out the plot holes and help make things flow when I was unsure. I take responsibility for any remaining issues.<br/><b>Summary:</b> When a porn star is found dead in his car near the set of his latest film, Danny finds out that Steve has connections he never would have imagined.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Case

**Author's Note:**

> This is a straight-forward case fic for H50 (with a side of slash thrown in, naturally), and an AU for Lost – you don't have to know anything about the show to appreciate the characters that I have borrowed to use in this fic. Suffice to say that James 'Sawyer' Ford was a con-man in Lost ( sexy and irresistibly charming) and Jack Sheppard was a slightly uptight medical doctor (hot to look at and never far from tears as any Lost fan will tell you!). My first H50/Lost crossover...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Five-O team begin to seek the murderer as Danny reconsiders what he knows of Steve's past and tries to work out what part the director of the porn film played in it.

The frown on Steve's face was one Danny had seen before, and no doubt would again, but it seemed out of place here, at a crime scene, despite the questionable situation they were dealing with. It wasn't exactly something they normally saw – a porn star found dead from a gunshot wound, in his car shortly after filming finished for the day on set – but the expression Steve aimed at the director who'd met them in his studio office to speak to them about his leading man's demise had Danny worried.

Danny looked from Steve to the guy and back again, narrowing his eyes at the growing smile on one face and the increasing scowl on the other.

"Well, look who it is," the tall, handsomely carved, dirty-blond man drawled in a lazy Southern accent as he stood up and reached out a hand for Steve to shake. "Steve McGarrett, as I live and breathe."

Steve shook the guy's hand, albeit somewhat reluctantly, Danny thought, and offered him a tight smile before speaking. "Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett now, Jim. I'm heading the governor's Five-0 task force here in Hawaii." There was some kind of warning in the stare he gave the man, and then he indicated Danny without looking directly at him. "James Ford, this is my partner, Detective Danny Williams."

Ford kept looking at Steve, almost speculatively, for a second before turning to shake Danny's hand, his smile broadening even further. "Pleased to meet you – well, not in light of why you're here, but as a friend of Steve's. Call me Jim."

"Partner," Steve put in, a peculiar emphasis on it that had Danny glancing at him curiously. But Steve still wasn't meeting his eyes.

"Partner?" Jim repeated, flicking a look back at Steve.

"We work together," Danny felt compelled to explain, though the idea that Steve wouldn't describe him as a friend as well as a 'work partner' sent a ripple of anger through him. He shot a tight look of his own in Steve's direction, but the man still wasn't focusing on him. "And you two know each other already because…" He deliberately left the sentence open, knowing somehow that Steve wasn't about to explain, but hoping Jim Ford might.

"Let's just say Steve and I knew each other some years ago, shall we?" Ford raised an eyebrow, meeting Steve's eyes effortlessly and then smiling lazily once more at Danny. "I imagine you want to ask me about Roger?"

"Yes," Steve answered almost too quickly, "Can you tell us if he had any enemies, or if you know of anyone who would wish him harm?"

Jim shook his head, his expression turning serious. "All the girls loved him. The crew too. You couldn't have met a sweeter guy."

"Did he have a girlfriend or a wife?" Danny put in, giving Steve another careful look sideways, but the man was all business now.

Once they'd gone through all the questions, Jim showed them Roger's dressing room, and left them to examine it while he went to ensure the two girls who been working on the set with Roger that day were respectably dressed enough to speak to them. Steve and Danny had already questioned most of the crew, one of whom had found the body, but turned up nothing that seemed significant so far.

"So…" Danny began, scanning Roger's make-up table, "you and Jim. You met through-"

Steve looked over from the closet he was examining, cutting him off before Danny could speculate. "When I was in college, I met this girl who was working in the industry. She introduced me to Jim; he was working in a film with her – acting back then. Obviously he's moved on since. But I haven't seen him in years; I'm surprised he actually remembers me."

Danny wrinkled his brow and nodded, but said nothing, wondering why he hadn't thought of such a simple explanation. He wasn't quite sure what he'd imagined their 'knowing each other' had involved.

"What?"

Danny huffed. "If you were even half as… memorable then as you are now, I find it incredible that _anyone_ would forget you."

Steve finally met his eyes and there was something in their depths that Danny couldn't quite get a read on, but Steve looked away again before Danny could puzzle it out. "I was just an ordinary guy back then, no matter how 'memorable' you think I am now."

"Oh, I find that difficult to believe, my friend, but I will let you have that since I didn't know you then to prove otherwise." He grinned easily enough, although he got the feeling there was something Steve wasn't telling him.

Steve was clearly happy to let the matter drop. "Nothing here seems to indicate anything out of the ordinary so far."

"Nope. We should see if the girls are dressed and ready to talk to us." Danny smiled, at least a part of him hoping the girls wouldn't be hiding too much flesh.

Steve caught his eye again, a slight frown in evidence. "I hope they are."

"Dressed or ready to talk to us?"

"Both." Steve's expression didn't lighten as he spoke.

What that was about, Danny didn't have a clue, but Ford appeared in the doorway before he could think of anything else to say.

"This way, gentlemen. Miranda and Jenni-Lee are in the break room and ready for your questions. Follow me."

~//~

"Okay, so what have we got on the vic?" Steve asked as he and Danny approached the computer table.

Kono flicked something up on the overhead and joined them as she started to speak. "Roger Rogers; real name Marvin Dalton, thirty-four years old. Single bullet-shot to the back of the head, thirty-eight caliber. No robbery, no other assault on him. Killed instantly, Max says, and going by the angle and the lack of defensive wounds or movement, the killer was probably in the back seat of the car when Roger got in, maybe ducked down out of sight, or else-"

"Someone he knew and trusted," Steve finished for her. "We talked to the film cast and crew; no one had anything but good things to say about Roger. Not that it means anything necessarily, but we'll need to look into backgrounds; see if anyone is hiding anything we should know.

"Chin, I want you to run this list of names; see what you come up with."

"On it," Chin took the paper from Steve's hand and moved to his office.

"Kono, I need you to check into his financials; usual stuff. Danny and I are heading over to Roger's home. Let me know if you find anything interesting."

Kono nodded and bowed her head back to the computer table as Steve turned to head out. Danny followed him.

In the car, he studied Steve's determined expression as he drove, but for once didn't say anything. Steve seemed oblivious to him, lost in whatever memories seeing Ford had roused, no doubt.

~//~


	2. Partner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Danny run into someone they don't expect at the victim's house, and learn some more about Jim Ford.

To Steve and Danny's surprise, there were lights on at Roger's home, and a man opened the door to their knock. The guy looked to be in his early forties; a little taller than Steve, with dark, close cropped hair, intense hazel-brown eyes and the air of a trained professional of some sort. Not a porn star, Danny was convinced.

"Detective Danny Williams and Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, Five-0," Danny indicated himself and then Steve as he made the introductions. "This is the home of Roger Rogers – Marvin Dalton – isn't it?"

The guy narrowed his eyes suspiciously, looking from Danny to Steve and then back again before speaking. "Yes, it is. I'm his partner, Jack Shephard; Doctor Jack Shephard. Has something happened to him?"

Danny raised his eyebrows in surprise – not at the doctor part; that made sense – but that Rogers had a _boyfriend_.

"I'm afraid we have some bad news," Steve told the man, giving Danny a sideways look before focusing back on Shephard. "Can we come inside?"

Shephard blinked painfully, like he already had some idea what he was about to hear. "Yes, of course. This way." He led them to a spacious living room, tastefully decorated in soft beiges and strong browns. "Have a seat." He sank down onto a couch, rubbing at his head nervously and looking at Steve in worry.

Danny and Steve sat down on the couch opposite and Danny licked his lips in preparation of giving the man the news, but Steve was already launching into the explanation, his best sympathetic tone in evidence. Danny watched Shephard, marveling silently at how well Steve did this part of the job, considering how little tact he sometimes showed. 

In Danny's estimation, Shephard had nothing to do with Roger's demise, unless he was one hell of an actor himself. It was odd that no one had volunteered the information that the man had a male lover. Danny couldn't help wondering about that, considering Roger had been working with not one but at least two _women_ on this film. Although, remembering the few porn movies he'd watched himself, he supposed that didn't mean the guy couldn't get it up for anyone in the right situation. He just hadn't thought about _gay_ porn in this case. Or maybe it was a matter of keeping business and pleasure separate; who knew?

Steve had finished with the explanation and was asking Shephard about the last time he'd seen his boyfriend by the time Danny focused properly on the words.

"This morning, about… seven-thirty when I left for… for work. Who would... who would do such a thing?" Shephard asked, looking about as close to tears as a man could get. "Marv was… he wouldn't hurt a fly!" Shephard covered his eyes and screwed up his face for a second before wiping wetness away and steeling his expression.

"We don't know the answer to that, sir," Steve told him, "but we intend to find out. So you left home before him this morning? Is that your normal routine?" 

Shephard closed his eyes, still looking a hair's breadth away from the tears he'd tried to suppress. Opening them again, he took in a breath before answering. "We usually eat together, then I head for work. If he's working too, he'll… he'll go around eight-thirty. They don't tend to start filming before ten and he likes to be on set to run through lines before they get underway."

Steve glanced at Danny, and Danny saw the reflection of his own thought in his eyes. _There are lines to learn in porn?_ Neither spoke though, and Shephard didn't seem to notice anything odd as he continued speaking.

"This morning, he took a cab – his car's been in the shop for repairs this week, and he went to collect it on the way to the set. He texted me about nine-fifteen to let me know everything was okay, so I knew I didn't have to pick him up tonight. It did occur to me it was getting pretty late for him to be out and not text or call, but… I thought maybe he was having a drink with one of the girls from the movie…" Shephard blinked distractedly as he trailed off and stared into space.

Steve glanced at Danny briefly, and then spoke, drawing Shephard's focus back to the crime they needed to solve. "How did he seem when you left here? Was he worried about anything, or acting unusually?"

"He was… Actually, he was a little distracted this morning, but I just… I thought it was because of the thing with Jim. You met Jim? His director?" Shephard looked at them expectantly.

"Yes, we did." Danny sat up a little straighter and exchanged another glance with Steve, who had similarly sprung to attention at the words. "What thing was that?" 

Shephard frowned and dropped his eyes for a moment, apparently composing himself before looking back at Danny. "Marv signed a three picture deal with the guy. This was the third movie. Jim Ford has been a pain in my... in the neck... since day one. He didn't think Marv was very bright, for all that he wanted him in his movies. Every time I went anywhere near the set, Jim would make remarks, trying to get under my skin, I guess.

"This week, with Marv's car in the shop, I've been giving him a ride. Yesterday when I arrived, Marv wasn't ready, and of course Jim couldn't have been more pleased to come out and do his best to rile me while I waited. Did his usual thing, making cracks about how Marv wasn't smart enough for me and that he knew tricks that even Marv didn't. It was stupid and Marv knows... knew... damned well I wouldn't do anything like what Jim was suggesting, but Ford's got this way of making things look... well, suggestive. He's not really interested in me; just likes getting under my skin. 

"Marv came out while we were talking and I guess he got the wrong idea... of course I put him straight, told him there was no way I'd be doing _anything_ that Jim Ford suggested. Jim just laughed like there _was_ something behind it, and Marv... well, he didn't want to jeopardize the picture, so neither of us said a lot more; we just left. 

"But at home... Marv was... not there 'with' me, I suppose you'd say. I thought maybe he'd taken Jim's words to heart. Figured he'd get over it if I left it be, you know? I never imagined... this."

Steve nodded thoughtfully and looked at Danny once more. "Thank you, Dr. Shephard, you've been very helpful." He stood up and Danny and Shephard got to their feet as well.

"You're welcome," Shephard said. To Danny's eyes the man was still on the verge of tears. "You will find whoever did this, won't you?"

"We'll do everything in our power to find the person responsible," Steve promised as they left.

In the car, Steve opened his mouth to speak, but Danny got in first. "Ford wasn't telling us everything. You haven't seen him for years, and the guy clearly has issues. How well did you know him, Steve?"

Steve's eyes widened slightly before he spoke. "I didn't… well, it was a long time ago, Danny. I don't know who he's become. But you're right. If Shephard's telling the truth, Jim's a suspect."

Danny bit his lip at the expression crossing Steve's face, and nodded. "Unless Shephard's a better actor than his boyfriend, I'd say he's got no reason to lie to us. And…" He paused, unsure why he was amused at the thought of a porn director trying to seduce his male star's lover away from him. "You think Shephard really doesn't get what Ford's after?"

Steve shrugged with one shoulder, his other arm busy steering the car. "Seemed obvious to me and you, but hey, the guy doesn't like Jim. Maybe he never experienced that whole schoolyard thing of annoying the k... girl you liked because it was easier than telling her how you felt. All that can be pretty hard if you're hiding who you are, and not many people come out at school. You know how cruel kids can be. Maybe he never learned that kind of thing."

Danny looked at Steve's profile, wondering for a moment why he'd changed the word from kid to girl at the last moment, but then he brushed it aside, thinking about Steve as a kid chasing some girl around at recess. "So who'd you tease?"

Steve quirked a half-hearted grin. "Second grade: Melissa Roberts. By third grade, I'd moved on to some other poor kid, who couldn't run away fast enough. You?"

Danny laughed. "My first was Diane Menkleson, also second grade. But, I have to say, I stuck with her for about three years before finding true love with Cindy Denoccio. She let me hold her hand." His smile stayed in place at the memory, until he took in the amused face staring at him from the other side of the car. "What? You never held a girl's hand?"

"At that age? Cooties, Danny, cooties." 

As if that explained everything! 

~//~


	3. Suspicion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Danny return to the film set the day after the murder to re-interview the director and his assistant.

Ford held his hands up and gave them a well-practiced, regretful smile. "Okay, so I didn't mention Jack Tight-Ass Shephard when you were here before. You didn't ask about boyfriends; you asked about a girlfriend or wife. And the guy's as straight-laced a queer as I've ever met. So I like jerking him around; it don't mean I pulled the trigger on Roger."

It was the following day and they had a timeframe for the murder: somewhere between five and eight PM, shortly before the body was discovered by a couple of the film's crew members.

"You could have been honest," Steve told him, his face a mask. "And the ‘jerking him around' sounded like something more, from what Dr. Shephard told us, not that he seemed to understand exactly what it was you were doing."

Ford lifted an eyebrow in amusement. "And what exactly was I doing, Stevie?"

Steve gave Danny a quick glance in his peripheral vision before answering, and Danny could swear there was a blush to his cheek, despite the serious expression on his face. " _Do_ you have an interest in Jack Shephard? If so, it's easy to imagine things would be easier for you if Roger was out of the picture."

"What would I gain by killing off my leading man before my film is finished? Anyway, I told you, I like jerking Shephard around. Okay, so Roger obviously got the wrong idea the other day, but Shephard's not really my type. I usually prefer them a little less..." He paused, deliberately licking his lips as he gazed lazily into Steve's eyes as if Danny wasn't even in the room. "...male."

Danny blinked, amazed at how suggestive the whole scene was, despite the words Ford was uttering. And all aimed at Steve, whom he'd _known_ some years ago, introduced by a girl Ford had been _in the industry with_. Danny had to wonder (again) exactly what their friendship – if it even could be called that – had consisted of. He coughed uncomfortably, hoping to break the spell still hanging between Steve and Ford, who hadn't stopped looking at each other even now.

"Where exactly were you between five and eight PM yesterday, Mr. Ford?" Danny asked, making both men turn to look at him. 

"I was here on set, like every other evening after shooting finishes, running through dailies, organizing set and script changes. If you don’t believe me, ask my assistant, Herb. He was here with me most of the time."

"Thank you; we will do exactly that. Where is Herb right now?"

"In the break room, getting my coffee. Feel free." Ford stood up, indicating the door and narrowing his eyes at Steve, before smiling tightly at Danny.

In the hallway outside his office, Danny stopped Steve with a hand on his arm. "What was that all about in there?"

Steve wouldn’t meet his eyes. "Nothing; he just… like Shephard said, he likes jerking people around."

"Is he gay?" Danny couldn’t help wondering, even though the man had basically announced his position in the Heterosexuality Club. "If he did kill Rogers because he was interested in Shephard, he could just be trying to put us off the track."

"Bisexual," Steve said, already moving off down the hallway. "He went both ways from what I saw all those years ago."

Danny narrowed his eyes, thinking about how much Steve must have seen to know that. "So he makes porn for all tastes?"

"I don’t know about now, but back then he was still acting – if you can call it that – and there’s more money for men in gay porn than in the straight stuff. Women are the stars in straight movies."

Danny’s eyes widened as he caught up with Steve. "And you know this because?"

Steve finally looked at him properly, brows furrowed and eyes dark. "The girl I was seeing told me; and Ford was… quite open about it back then."

By now they’d reached the break room, and Steve pushed the door open, not allowing for any more questions from Danny. There were two girls and a young guy from the crew they’d interviewed the day before in the room. 

"Oh great; you’ve finished with Jim." The handsome youth smiled, his eyes lingering a little too long on Steve’s long frame. "He wanted me to bring him coffee."

Danny wondered if coffee was all the kid brought Ford after Steve’s comment earlier, not to mention the looks Ford and Steve had exchanged. Danny glanced at Steve again, wondering, but immediately dismissed the thought as absurd. Maybe Ford had been as suggestive back then and it made Steve uncomfortable, which seemed the most likely reason for Steve’s manner.

"Actually, we need to speak to you, Herb," Steve said, his expression grave.

Herb actually seemed to perk up for a moment, but then his look changed to one of fear, as if he suddenly realized there was something more serious in Steve and Danny’s request than just wanting his company for a little longer.

The two girls took the hint and disappeared out the door behind them, but Herb stood still, his eyes flicking between Steve and Danny.

"It’s okay." Danny held up a hand. "We just want to ask you if you were with your boss yesterday between five and eight yesterday evening."

Herb nodded, relief spreading across his even features. "Yes, for most of it, I was. We were looking at the dailies; Jim needed to make sure we had everything he wanted from Roger."

"Everything he wanted?" Steve asked, crossing his arms and frowning suspiciously. "Filming was supposed to be continuing today…" He glanced at Danny like something had just occurred to him. "You were filming today? Roger wasn’t needed for that?"

"Roger’s part is finished, thankfully, or… I’m sorry to sound so callous when the poor man is no longer with us… but… it would cost the production quite a bit if we had to rewrite or reshoot because he wasn’t available for completion… uh… so to speak." 

Herb blushed slightly at the double entendre and Danny had to wonder if he really was so easily embarrassed over such things or if it was just because Danny and Steve were cops.

"So let me get this straight," Danny curled his lip slightly at the use of the word, "Roger isn’t needed for the rest of filming? So… his death doesn’t impact on production at all, other than the loss of a good co-worker and porn actor?"

"Adult film actor," Herb corrected, nodding. "The scenes we’ve been working on today are a lesbian one…" He wrinkled his nose in distaste before going on, directing his gaze at Steve. "…and one between the carpenter and Jenni-Lee’s character. We should wrap all of shooting by six tonight, and that’s it. Wrap party is set for eight, although…" He looked apologetic now, and lowered his eyes demurely before managing one more hopeful look in Steve’s direction. "It’s been amended to a farewell for Roger, so it probably won’t be quite the usual ‘party’ party."

Steve’s visage was dark as he met Danny’s eyes, then he focused back on Herb, who gave him an eager smile. "You said you were with Mr. Ford for ‘most of the time’ yesterday. Was there a period when you weren’t?"

Herb frowned. "Well, I did have to run a couple of errands, but I wouldn’t have been away longer than five or ten minutes at a time… oh… I did end up going around the corner for his coffee because the machine wasn’t running properly in here, and the stupid barista misheard my order so I had to get her to make it up all over again, and at the prices they charge-"

"Yes, yes," Danny interrupted what was beginning to sound like turning into a barrage of complaints about the coffee shop. "How long were you gone?"

Herb looked affronted at Danny’s short-circuit of his story, and offered a reluctant answer. "Twenty minutes; maybe a half hour, tops."

"And that was the only time you left the building?" Steve asked.

Herb offered Steve another smile. "Exactly. And if I had been away for any longer, Jim would have sent a search party; he said so himself. He values my assistance."

Danny barely contained a snort. More like he knew exactly how easily Herb was distracted and couldn’t wait for his coffee any longer. "Thank you, Herb; your answers have been helpful. Mr. Ford is probably waiting for that coffee now." He indicated the cup in Herb's hand. "Maybe you’d better take it to him before he gets a posse together."

Herb offered Danny one more ominous glare before smiling at Steve again and leaving the room, the cooling coffee still in his hand.

"What do you think?" Steve asked Danny when he was gone. "Twenty minutes long enough for Jim to get to the parking lot and kill Roger, dump the weapon and get back to his office before he was missed?"

"If he didn’t dump the gun too far away, then yes, I’d say it definitely was. Think we’d better get back there before Herb spills the beans and Ford makes his getaway?"

Steve nodded and they headed after Herb, who had already disappeared down the hallway. Steve chewed on his lip, his eyes unfocused as they walked. Danny glanced at him sideways. 

Steve took a breath, hesitating before he asked, "Why would he imply he still needed Roger to finish the film if he isn’t guilty?"

"You asking me, or trying to figure out some other reason that would make sense, babe?" Danny asked gently, sensing that Steve wasn’t altogether happy with the idea that Ford was responsible.

"Just… I know it’s a long time since I knew him, and bearing in mind we didn’t really know each other all that well, he didn’t seem the type to resort to murder to get what he wanted. And why would killing Roger have aided him in getting Shephard anyway? The guy didn’t seem in the least interested."

Danny shrugged. "Who knows? It’s motive though, and we have to consider it. He’s our best lead so far. We need to take him in for questioning."

"I know that, Danny. He’s got a lot of explaining to do."

~//~


	4. Stasis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Danny take the director in for questioning, but answers are not exactly forthcoming.

"I told you: I had no reason to kill him. Okay, so I wasn't completely honest with you, but that doesn't make me a murderer."

Ford sat in the chair, cuffed, a scowl darkening his face dangerously. If anyone looked capable of killing because he'd been looked at wrong, it was this guy, Danny thought, although Steve's heart didn't seem to be in it. He'd left the questioning to Danny.

"So you say. But you haven't given us a reasonable explanation for the lie yet," Danny told him.

Ford glanced in Steve's direction before focusing back on Danny. "Didn't want to give you any more ammunition than it looked like you already had. I'm _not_ interested in Shephard. If I was, I would have gone after him, and dear old 'Roger' wouldn't have stood a chance. Ask any of the girls. It's more like Shephard's got a thing about me, if anything."

Steve spoke up from the corner he'd been silently brooding in for the last twenty minutes while Danny tried to get information from Ford. "Shephard doesn't seem interested in you."

Ford snorted. "He pretends well, but that tight-ass would give in faster than a whore in a men's prison."

Something occurred to Danny then. "Have you slept with him?"

Ford smirked, raising his eyebrows and saying nothing, his eyes straying towards Steve briefly once more.

"Don't look at him," Danny said, "I asked the question."

"No, I haven't _slept_ with him."

There was something about the way he emphasized the word 'slept' that had Danny wondering, but he didn't voice that yet. "So what makes you think he'd 'give in' to you?"

"You know what, Tattoo? I'm getting sick of this. Charge me or don't. I know my rights and I'm entitled to see my lawyer. Let me have my phone call so I can get him down here. He'll have me out faster than you can spin on your short little ass."

"Fine," Danny said, exasperated. "Anything you want to ask, Steve?"

"Yeah, Steve, anything you want from _me_?" Ford smirked in a disconcerting way at Steve as he spoke.

Steve's scowl deepened as he shook his head, eyes on Ford, who was virtually leering at him now. His whole manner towards Steve made Danny uneasy, but he figured that was Ford's aim and tried to ignore it. He and Steve left Ford in the room, stopping in the hallway outside to talk.

"What do you think?" Danny asked Steve, who was still sporting the death-glare from hell.

"I don't know. He's a liar and most probably cheats on his taxes, but I'm not sure he's a killer."

"That's your gut talking?"

Steve shrugged, crossing his arms across his chest, and frowning at Danny. "I guess. I wasn't that close to him, but there was always something about him that attracted people, whether it was about hating him or being turned on by him – and you know how sometimes the two aren't mutually exclusive – but there's something that doesn't quite add up. Maybe we need to talk to those girls again; find out exactly how deep the relationships ran on set and whether they saw Ford do anything odd."

Danny nodded thoughtfully. They'd pretty much just covered the simple facts with the girls without going into how well they knew Ford; he hadn't been a suspect then. "You're right. Maybe they can give us more info on Ford's background, and if they've seen anything going on between him and Shephard."

"You still think there's something in that?"

"You notice the way he emphasized 'slept' when was talking about the guy? Maybe there was sex but no sleeping. Maybe Shephard is a better actor than we know?"

"Worth thinking about," Steve agreed as they headed upstairs. "Ford can cool his heels a little longer while we re-interview the girls."

"Exactly what I was thinking." Danny couldn't help grinning at the thought of Ford spending a quiet couple of hours in the interview room all alone without an audience.

~//~ 

"So, you never saw them together at all?" Danny asked near the end of their questions to one of the victim's co-stars.

The curvy blonde called Jenni-Lee Sage frowned like she was thinking. "Sadly, no, but Randy might have seen something – that's Miranda – her boyfriend's been picking her up from the set around the same time Roger went home recently. I usually stayed later because my boyfriend does the sound and we leave together, like I said yesterday."

Jenni-Lee's boyfriend had backed her story up and there seemed to be no reason to doubt either of them, nor were they under suspicion. Both of them had been with other members of the crew who had vouched for them during the period when the murder occurred.

Danny offered Steve a look before standing up from where he'd been sitting. "Thank you for your time, Jenni-Lee. We'll be in touch if we have any other questions."

Nodding at him politely, Jenni-Lee stood up too and turned towards Steve as he rose to his feet as well.

Steve gave her a smile and Jenni-Lee touched her cheek and smiled back at him in a way that suggested she wouldn't mind getting busy with him as she stood in the doorway to see them out, but Steve seemed oblivious as he and Danny retreated down the stairs and returned to the Camaro.

"Nothing there, then," Danny said as they got back into the car.

Steve didn't say anything, looking preoccupied as he barely focused on where he was going. Jenni-Lee's answers shouldn't have given him anything new to consider, so Danny could only assume he was still mulling over some of what Ford had said.

"You think Ford is telling the truth, don't you?"

"Hmm?" Steve glanced at Danny distractedly when he spoke, and then narrowed his eyes at the road ahead of him like he had something on his mind he wanted to share but wasn't sure how to do so. "I just don't see him killing a guy because he was interested in his lover. I don't think he's the type; he plays the field, so even if he and Shephard were having an affair, it doesn't seem like it'd be more than a passing 'thing' for him. He likes to jerk people around; get reactions. Long-time relationships don't seem to be in his make-up."

Danny nodded thoughtfully. It did seem like a good read on the guy; though it might be as careful an act as much as anything else he'd projected in their presence. With Steve having known him before, though – no matter how slightly – Danny felt inclined to trust Steve's gut on the matter. "Let's see what Miranda Darling can tell us, anyway; who knows what she may have seen." 

~//~


	5. Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Danny interview one of the actresses that worked with the victim and hear some interesting things.

Twenty minutes after interviewing Jenni-Lee Sage, Steve and Danny were approaching the door of the spacious rental home that Miranda Darling currently occupied. As Steve lifted a hand to knock, they heard a crash from the interior of the house, followed by a cut-off scream. Steve's gun was in his hand without Danny being aware of him reaching for it, and Danny pulled his own out and indicated he'd take the back entrance.

Steve nodded in approval, and knocked on the door. "Five-0! Is everything all right in there?"

Danny quickly made his way around the back of the property, cautiously moving along the wall of the house towards the open glass doors from the lanai, and peered around the edge into a comfortable-looking living room where the busty red-head he remembered from their previous interview the day before was righting a lamp on a side table. Danny could see a bulky-looking man at the front door in the distance, which was now open, and Steve was holstering his gun as he gazed warily past the big man's shoulder. 

"Why do you need to speak to Miranda?" the man was asking.

"Is she okay?" Steve asked. "I heard noises coming from inside here that sounded like someone was hurt."

"She's fine; no one's hurt," the man said somewhat tersely, half turning to indicate the red-head behind him.

Miranda stroked a hand over her hair and gave the lamp one last glance before heading towards Steve and the man. "Oh yeah, I remember him, honey. This is one of the cops who are looking into Roger's murder. Everything's fine, officer – I just knocked over a plant."

"Randy's got nothing to do with that queer's death," the man – presumably Miranda's boyfriend – growled.

"I'm not accusing her of anything, sir," Steve said, holding his hands out in a reassuring manner. "I just need to ask her a few more questions about her employer. And you are?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, officer," Miranda – Randy – simpered, "This is my boyfriend, Carl Peters."

"Mr. Peters, may I come in to talk with Miss Darling?" 

Danny knew this was the point when he should probably say something and move into the room too, but something held him back. Perhaps he could judge more from his unseen advantage in any case. Steve would be fine asking questions without him, but Danny wasn't completely convinced that Miranda was as safe by herself with her boyfriend. _Maybe_ she'd just knocked over a plant, but maybe something – or _someone_ – else had caused her to scream… 

Peters was reluctantly agreeing that Steve could speak to Miranda, and he and the young actress had lowered themselves stiffly to the edge of a couch lined up at one side a few feet in front and to the left of Danny. Steve sat across from them on the sofa's twin, and smiled carefully. No one had noticed Danny in his vantage point just behind a large and spiky potted palm at the corner of the doorway, but he could easily see and hear them.

"Now, Miss Darling, I believe you often left work around the same time as Roger; is that correct?" Steve asked.

"Please call me Randy." Miranda gave Peters a quick sideways look and shifted slightly in her seat before nodding at Steve. "Yes. Carl normally comes… came for me around the time when Roger's boyfriend Jack was waiting for him this week, because Roger's car was in the shop. He – Roger that is – always seemed to keep Jack waiting. Jack probably wouldn't have minded so much, but Jim always saw me out." 

Steve gave her a quizzical look and Miranda went on, "You know, to make sure I wasn't standing around in the dark by myself – in case Carl hadn't arrived yet."

Steve cast a sharp look at Peters, who shrugged like it was no big deal to make his girlfriend wait a few extra minutes. He relaxed against the back of the couch, giving Danny a clearer view of Miranda, who still didn't exactly look as comfortable as her boyfriend.

"Okay," Steve said, "And Jack – that's Dr. Shephard?" He paused until Miranda nodded and then continued, "Dr. Shephard didn't like seeing Mr. Ford?"

Miranda tried for a smile. "Jack would be waiting for Roger, and I just thought it was polite to let him know how long he might have to wait. Well, of course Jim had to come talk to him too, which Jack was definitely not happy about."

"Why was that, do you think?"

This time, Miranda gave her boyfriend a pointed look before she spoke, and Danny had to wonder what that was about. Half-turning back to Steve in order to deliver the message to both him and Peters, she licked her lips before beginning. "Roger was gay, which was never a secret; Jack was very obviously his very _gay_ boyfriend. Jim liked to… how should I put this? Stir up trouble?"

"What kind of trouble?" Steve narrowed his eyes, glancing at Peters for a moment, before focusing back on Miranda.

"He'd talk about Roger like he was stupid, and suggest maybe Jack could find someone better. Even I thought that was rude."

"What do you think he meant by it?" Steve was asking all the right questions.

"Well, in all honesty, officer, he seemed to be flirting with Jack, but… it just didn't seem like…" She paused, biting at her lip like she was scared she'd given away too much.

"It didn't seem like what?" Steve prompted.

Peters shifted in his seat and put in, "What she's trying to say is that her boss was usually interested in younger men. _Much_ younger men."

Steve swallowed hard and frowned. "What makes you say that?"

"Oh come on!" Peters snorted. "Ford's as queer as they come. He tests all his _male_ stars out personally before they get a part in his pictures; isn't that what you told me, Randy? Roger swung both ways, obviously, or he wouldn't be making movies with Randy." His voice turned rough on the last sentence, but he smiled creepily at Miranda and then continued more evenly, "But Ford wanted Roger for himself. Roger was a lot younger and prettier than his sad-looking doctor boyfriend, and Ford clearly couldn't help himself." 

"Do you agree with any of that?" Steve asked Miranda, an odd look in his eyes that had Danny curious.

Miranda looked at Peters again, who nodded. She nodded in turn at Steve, but didn't meet his eyes. Danny had his doubts about the explanation and wondered what the lie was about.

"Had Mr. Ford and Roger had any disagreements that you were aware of, Miss Darling?"

"Please, do call me Randy, officer."

"Randy," Steve agreed somewhat reluctantly, but didn't suggest that he should be addressed any differently from 'officer'.

Miranda continued, "No… Roger was sweet, but a little… well, stupid's too strong a word for it. He was perhaps more naïve than your average adult actor. He would have done whatever Jim asked him to do."

"Does that include sleeping with him?"

"I couldn't say with any certainty, but… Jim's known for his couch casting methods, and…" She put a hand to her mouth for a second and then smiled tightly, dropping her eyes away from Steve's direct gaze once more.

"What about Dr. Shephard? Do you think it's possible he and Mr. Ford have been involved in some way?"

"Oh no, I doubt that very much." Miranda looked like she was holding back a laugh at the thought, which seemed to convince Steve. "I can only think the 'flirting' was supposed to be some way to put Jack off Roger."

Steve nodded, and then stood up. Miranda stood too, though Peters stayed where he was, gazing up at Steve like he didn't care what a bunch of queers did in their spare time or why one should have ended up dead virtually under his nose.

"Thank you for your time… Miss… uh, Randy. You've been very helpful. Thank you too, Mr. Peters."

A few seconds later Miranda was closing the door behind Steve and turning back to her boyfriend. Danny stayed where he was, interested to see what they said to each other now.

"You think he believed me?" Miranda asked.

"Of course, sweetie." Peters sat forward in his chair and beckoned her towards him. "Why not? It was the truth, wasn't it?"

Miranda scooted back over to him and sat down on Peters' lap, allowing his meaty paws to pull her close. "Of course it was, baby." 

But Danny could see the worry in her eyes, and a light went on in his head. She was lying to _Peters_ and needed to keep up the lie in front of him, so _something_ in all that had not been as accurate as she claimed, but what?

~//~


	6. Possibilities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Danny catch a break that may lead them in the right direction.

By the time Danny got back to the car, Steve was staring moodily at something on his phone as he leaned against the Camaro. He straightened up as Danny approached, the frown easing away as he pushed the phone into his pocket. "Where have you been? Find anything back there?"

He rounded the car as Danny replied and they both got in. 

"All is not as it seems," Danny told him. "'Randy' was definitely hiding something, but I'm not sure what exactly. I was watching from the back; heard the whole conversation you had with her and the boyfriend, plus a little extra after you left."

"You thought she was lying about something too?" Steve asked as he pulled the car away from the curb. "She was showing all the signs. And what they said about Ford doesn't add up with what we've already heard."

"Here's a thought," Danny said. "The casting couch she was referring to maybe included her, and she didn't want Peters to know."

Steve threw him a quick look and then nodded as he gazed forward again. "That would make sense. We already know Jim Ford's bisexual, but she doesn't know we know that, and she was definitely playing up his gay side in there. It's not what _he'd_ have us believe of his behavior either, that's for sure."

Danny bit at his lip, thinking. "They implied he was more into younger guys, and if that was true, why would he hurt _Roger_ if he was interested in him rather than Shephard?"

Steve shrugged, his mouth curving into a frown. "To play devil's advocate, maybe Roger said 'no'."

"You don't believe he's capable of killing his own star just because the guy said no, though, do you?"

"In all honesty, it seems far-fetched to me. The guy bends the truth, I have no doubt of that, but that doesn't make him a murderer. It would make more sense if he was interested in Shephard, but the other way? I'm not so sure. He could be quite persuasive as I recall; and Randy seemed to think Roger was more malleable than him saying an outright 'no' and getting killed for it would imply."

Danny squinted at Steve for a moment, saying nothing. 

_He could be quite persuasive as I recall._

"What?" Steve asked, flicking a confused look at Danny before focusing back on the road.

"What other younger men does Ford have around him that may have ended up on his couch?"

Steve squinted like he was working the answer out. Danny rolled his eyes and answered for him. "The gay assistant, Herb, for one. Plus there were a couple of other guys in the movie, weren't there? I seem to remember Herb mentioning something about a scene with a 'carpenter'."

"That's right." Steve nodded. "Neither of them was on set the day Roger was murdered. Herb could probably give us their details, though. We should see if any of them got close to Jim's couch before they got the job. Or any of the other women, for that matter."

"Exactly," said Danny.

~//~ 

"I have a diploma in film and media studies. I earned my position as Jim's assistant!" Herb looked completely affronted at Danny's question, and gave Steve a suspicious look like he thought Steve agreed with Danny's words.

Danny forged on, despite the defensive answer. "So you've never slept with Ford?" 

Herb uncrossed his arms and looked away, beginning to fidget and shift uncomfortably.

Steve gave Danny a sideways look before speaking, his voice low and non-threatening. "If that's all you've done, it isn't going to get you in trouble. It's better if you tell the truth now than if we find out later that you lied."

Herb stopped fidgeting and slowly met Steve's eyes. "It's not how I got the job."

Steve held a hand up placatingly. "I understand that, Herb, but it could be important."

Herb flicked a glance at Danny, his attractive face reddening slightly, before focusing back on Steve as he spoke. "I don't want to get Jim in any more trouble. He can't have killed Roger."

Danny almost spoke, but Herb looked on the verge of saying more to Steve as if Danny wasn't even there – what was with that? – and Danny could see the warning in Steve's eyes so he closed his mouth again.

"Why not, Herb?" Steve asked, his expression full of empathy.

"He just wouldn't. He liked Roger; we all did. And… when I went to get his coffee that evening… Jim… was recovering. I doubt that he was capable of moving far very fast." His face darkened further, which seemed surprising for someone working in this business, if Ford was 'recovering' from what Danny assumed.

"You'd had sex with him?" Danny couldn't help asking.

Herb glared at Danny. "I'd helped him out, if you must know. I wouldn't exactly call it _sex_." He rolled his eyes at Danny's questioning eyebrow. "I blew him, Detective. That's what you wanted to know, isn't it?" He turned back to Steve, his manner impatient. "Can I go now?"

Steve smiled carefully at Herb. "Just one more thing, if you don't mind, Herb. Were you aware of Jim having sex with anyone before he gave them the job? Male or female."

Herb looked away for a moment, and then gave Danny a sideways glance that didn't look at all pleasant. "Yes, as it happens. One of the actresses that was working with Roger. I happened to walk into Jim's office a little sooner after the 'audition' than she was ready for."

"Which actress was that?" Danny asked, wondering if Ford had even cared about being walked in on, since Herb hadn't mentioned how ready for company _he'd_ been.

"Miranda Darling."

Steve and Danny exchanged a look. That certainly put a different spin on what she'd said to her boyfriend. 

"What about Roger?" Steve asked.

"Roger? Oh, no, I don't think so." Herb seemed mildly disturbed by the idea.

"No? Why's that?" 

"Roger was a one man kind of guy. He was completely head over heels for his boyfriend. He admitted to me that he found Jim attractive, but he'd never have done anything about it. He and Jack were together before Roger did his first movie with Jim – I've been production assistant for Jim on all three movies Roger starred in – so I got to know him quite well." Herb seemed to have relaxed now the topic was off his own involvement with Jim.

"You don't think Jim could have talked him into something?" Danny suggested.

"It's always a possibility, but I'm sure Roger would have… well, he wasn't known for his brains, and I can't imagine he wouldn't have felt guilty and needed to confide in someone if that had happened. He and Randy – that's Miranda – had a few heart-to-hearts, but it's more like something he might have come to me with. I don't think she really wanted to hear about that kind of thing."

"What makes you say that?" Steve looked unconvinced.

Danny wasn't sure if Steve had latched onto the before-unmentioned friendship between Roger and Randy yet, but he'd see where the question led before asking any of his own.

"She's all about romance and fashion; she loved hearing how perfect things were with them. She didn't want 'details', you know? I heard the two of them talking enough times, and you'd swear that the sun shone out of their respective boyfriends' asses. Considering how she got the job, I thought it was a bit much, but Roger was besotted with everything she said." Herb obviously didn't share that particular opinion. "Anyway, he just… he was too… I don't know – naïve? Guileless? – to have been lying about his devotion to Jack. That may just be my opinion, but ask anyone – Roger just didn't have it in him to _lie_ so easily and not look like he was doing so – he wasn't that great of an actor."

Steve and Danny looked at each other again briefly. "Thank you, Herb," Steve told Herb. "I'm going to need contact details for the other actors in the movie; the ones that weren't here on the day Roger was murdered. We're going to need to speak to them."

"You don't think any of _them_ did this, do you?" Herb suddenly looked worried again.

"No, not at this stage, but we'd like to ask them some questions about the way they were hired; see if what happened with Miranda was repeated with any of them." Steve replied, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

"Oh," Herb nodded. "There are two other guys and one girl, but I doubt that one of the guys would have slept with Jim, if that's any help. Mikey's not the least bit gay and even Jim's persuasive skills wouldn't have worked on bending him. Justin, perhaps; and Alicia – who knows? I'll get that contact info for you if you don't mind waiting." 

Herb disappeared into Ford's office from the open area where his own desk was, and Danny turned to look at Steve. "So, what do you think?"

Steve looked up from his phone. "Kono just texted. They had to let Ford go. I'm not sure we had the right guy anyway. 

"What do I think? I think maybe Randy is hiding more than anyone else around here, at this point. You think _she'd_ have reason to kill Roger? Even though Herb seems to think they were BFFs."

"Are you missing the obvious on purpose here, babe?"

"Obvious?"

"The boyfriend."

"I doubt Shephard-"

"Not Shephard. Miranda Darling's thug of a boyfriend, Peters. A little voice inside my head tells me maybe we should check him out some more."

Danny could practically see the light switching on behind Steve's eyes.

~//~


	7. Progress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Danny learn some more interesting facts and obtain a warrant.

The next morning, Steve, Danny, Chin and Kono were gathered by the computer table at HQ, going over what they had so far on the case, including details of Peters' record, which had proved to be very interesting.

"So the woman he assaulted was a previous girlfriend?" Danny asked, exchanging a look with Steve.

"Yeah," Kono outlined for them, flicking Carl Peters' mug shot up on the overhead screen, along with his rap sheet. "Seems they'd been together for over a year when it happened. At the trial it came out she'd been a regular at the nearest hospital with falls and other 'accidents'. He also did time for aggravated assault a couple of years later, and he was a suspect in an armed robbery last year, but the evidence wasn't strong enough to convict him."

"So the guy knows his way around a gun," Steve said, "although that's not enough to be certain he's the guy we're after, but the way Miranda was lying to him – and to us as well – yesterday suggests there's definitely an element of jealousy in his behavior, which gives him motive."

"Absolutely," Danny agreed. "So, if Roger being with Randy on set bothered him enough, murder's not that much of a stretch."

"What have we got on the gun, again?" Steve asked. "Do we know if it sounds like something Peters has used before?"

"Thirty-eight caliber; weapon wasn't recovered, as you know." Chin shifted something on the computer and was reading from a report. "As it turns out, the gun in the robbery he was allegedly involved in just happens to have been a thirty-eight as well. If we could find it and it leads back to him…" 

Chin didn't need to finish the sentence. 

~//~ 

"Shit!" Steve hung up the phone and paced back and forth in his office. "That should have been enough for a warrant, shouldn't it?" he asked Danny, who was propped in the doorway waiting for news on the elusive warrant.

Danny straightened up from where he'd been leaning and gestured with both hands. "It's pretty slim at this point. We need something more. Maybe someone seeing Peters hanging around before Roger left? It's unlikely Randy is going to tell us much, so who else have we got?"

"We still haven't interviewed the other actors that Herb told us about."

"And maybe we could talk to Jenni-Lee again. She was there that day – we weren't asking about Peters then."

"Good point." Steve nodded and moved past Danny and out into the main office. "Chin, Kono; you up for visiting a couple of porn stars?"

Chin waggled his eyebrows and grinned. "We talking girls or guys?"

Kono rolled her eyes. "I am not explaining your interest to Malia. Please tell me they're men, Boss?"

Steve snorted and turned to Danny. "We'll take Jenni-Lee and…" He checked the details Herb had given them before continuing, "Alicia. You two can check in with Mikey and Justin."

"Please tell me they're not together?" Chin looked slightly worried.

"Relax," Steve told him, frowning a little. "At least one of them is straight, and I have two separate addresses, so you don't have to worry that you'll walk in on anything." 

He shook his head, still scowling, and looked at Kono. "I've sent the addresses through to you. We want to know if either of these guys ever had a 'personal' test of any kind with Jim Ford to get the part in this movie – or any other – and if either of them knows anything about Carl Peters hanging around the set or having run-ins with Roger, or anyone else for that matter."

"On it, Boss," Kono confirmed, and shot Chin a look as they left the office.

Steve still wasn't looking particularly happy as he and Danny climbed into the Camaro.

"What's eating you?" Danny asked, watching Steve curiously.

"Not being able to get a warrant isn't helping to solve this case as quickly as I'd like, for starters."

"You sure there isn't something else?"

Steve glanced at him and back out the front window. "I thought Chin was a little more tolerant than that."

"Chin?"

Steve shrugged. "So what if those two actors were together? Would it bother you?"

Danny frowned noncommittally. "I don't think he would have refused to talk to them. And no, it wouldn't bother me. It's part of the job – dealing with people from all walks of life and all persuasions. If it means getting to the truth, you talk to whoever you need to."

"Exactly." Steve offered him another serious look. "I just didn't think Chin would say something like that."

"I don't know what to say, babe. Which one of these girls we going to see first?"

"Actually, I thought we'd talk to Jim again first."

"Jim? Ford? You think he might have seen something between Roger and Peters?"

"It's possible."

Danny drew his brows together but said nothing. 

~//~

"If it ain't Starsky and Hutch," Ford said to Herb from where they stood together in the outer office Steve and Danny had interviewed Herb in last time. He focused on Danny, flicking a slightly unsettling glance in Steve's direction first. "Come to harass me again?" 

"Actually, no. Didn't Herb tell you we talked to him yesterday? We have some other leads to follow up right now."

Ford narrowed his eyes. "You think I can help with something else?"

"Yeah," Steve told him. "Miranda Darling's boyfriend, Carl Peters. He ever hang around set, bother anyone or cause any trouble that you're aware of?"

"Peters." Ford snorted. "Why didn't I think of him before? I banned him from the set about two weeks ago. He was always trying to lay down the law about what Randy could or couldn't do."

"Did he have a problem with her having scenes with Roger?" Danny asked.

Herb coughed behind his hand, but Ford answered, "He didn't have any choice. It was in her contract."

"That doesn't answer the question, Jim." Steve had crossed his arms across his chest and was looking very serious.

Ford held out both hands to the side. "He didn't like her being with any of my guys. Was a little too enthusiastic about the lesbian scene though, and I really didn't need him hanging around for that."

Danny grinned briefly at Steve, but Steve wasn't looking in Danny's direction, nor did he seem impressed.

"Did he ever get aggressive with Roger?" Steve wanted to know.

"Not that I'm aware of. I told him in no uncertain terms I didn't want him around here until Randy was finished working for the day. As far as I know, he stuck to that."

"Anything else you think we should know about Peters' interactions with your cast and crew?" Danny flicked a look at Herb, who was watching Ford like he had something to say if his boss didn't. "You got something on your mind, Herb?"

"I did see him with Justin one afternoon…"

"This is Justin, one of the other male stars?" Steve put in, his attention swinging to Herb now too.

"Yeah," Herb nodded. "I didn't think anything of it, because Justin was leaving for the day and Carl was just arriving to pick up Randy… I was taking a cigarette break. But Justin sure hurried away from him pretty fast, and Carl looked steamed when he turned around. I didn't like the creep, so I went back inside before he came anywhere near me."

Steve nodded and looked back at Ford. "That's about all we need for now, I think. Thank you. You too, Herb. I can't promise anything, but that may be significant. We'll be in touch."

"You can apologize properly later," Ford said as Danny and Steve exited.

Steve didn't react, but Danny didn't really like the expression in Ford's eye when he looked back in the man's direction.

"What did he mean by that last crack?" Danny asked as they got back into the car and Steve started the engine.

"Just trying to get under our skin. Ignore him."

"How well _did_ you know him?"

Steve gave Danny a startled look. "What?"

"He gives the impression he knows something about you that I don't."

"Really?" Steve shrugged, carefully studying the road as he drove. "Can't think of anything."

"So that's just how he operates?"

"Guess so. This is Jenni-Lee's street. Maybe she'll remember something about Peters."

Danny wasn't convinced Steve wasn't just deflecting, but he let it go for now.

~//~

Two hours later, they were headed back to HQ, having gained nothing additional from Jenni-Lee, who claimed she'd never been personally screen-tested by Jim Ford. She barely seemed to know anything about Miranda or her boyfriend, despite the women's close roles on the show.

Alicia – the other actress they'd seen – had reluctantly admitted that she'd been briefly involved with Ford before getting the part in his movie, and had also confirmed that Peters was jealous of Randy's male co-stars. In addition, she found his interest in her lesbian scene with Randy extremely creepy.

"It's not enough to be certain he's our guy, but it's looking like a better motive than the one for Jim," Steve said as they pulled into a parking space in front of the Iolani Palace.

Danny was less convinced, but they didn't have a lot else to go on.

Back inside, Kono and Chin were waiting for them. 

"Find out anything of interest?" Steve asked.

"Mikey didn't have anything of note to tell us, but the interview with Justin was very interesting," Kono told them, a grin just quirking her lip gently upwards. 

Chin spoke up. "He wouldn't admit being intimately screen-tested by Ford – although his manner when we asked about it suggests otherwise – but, he told us that Peters had warned him off Randy Darling."

"Yes?" Danny encouraged.

"Apparently, Peters was outside one day last week when Justin was leaving, and he wanted to know exactly what Justin had done with his girlfriend that day. Justin told him he was doing his job and he had no interest in her beyond what they were filming, but Peters wasn't convinced. Justin said he told Peters he was more into men just to get him off his back, but he doesn't think Peters believed that."

"Did Peters threaten him?"

"Nothing overt," Kono took up where Chin had left off, "but Justin said he felt intimidated by the way Peters was standing over him. He got out of there as fast as he could. He said he was glad Ford had banned the guy from being there when they were working."

"That's gotta be enough to bring the guy in," Steve eyed Danny, like he wasn't sure how far to push it.

"What say we go pay him a visit as soon as we have the warrant, babe?"

Steve quirked a grin much more like his usual self than Danny had seen in a while. "Couldn't be soon enough."

~//~


	8. Results

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Danny pay a repeat visit to one of their suspects, and later, Danny finds something he wants to check out in private.

"Open up; Five-0," Steve announced.

The door opened a crack and Miranda Darling's frightened eye looked out at them.

"Miss Darling? We need to speak to Mr. Peters. Is he here?"

She shook her head and made to shut the door again. Steve put his foot in the doorway, stopping her from shutting it. "Can you tell us where we might find him?"

Danny had a bad feeling about this and took a step back, drawing his gun slowly out of its holster.

"No, please… he… he isn't here!"

Steve narrowed his eyes, looking sideways at Danny. "Where is he, Randy?"

Danny nodded at Steve and slipped around the rear of the building, finding his hiding place from the previous visit, although the patio doors were shut today. He could see Peters through the glass though; he was standing on the other side of the door from Steve, holding a gun that he was pointing at Randy.

Checking the door as silently as he could, Danny slowly slid the latch, which fortunately wasn't locked, and gently eased the door open. Neither Peters nor Randy had seen him yet.

"Randy, I need to talk to him." Danny could hear Steve saying. "Where does he work? Will I find him there?"

Peters growled something low that Danny couldn't make out, but he was pretty sure Steve must have heard, although he'd probably already realized the man was inside. Next thing, the door burst inwards and Randy flung herself sideways as Peters tried to fire the gun. It was too late though; Steve had forced him back against the wall and the shot went wild. 

Steve had him on the floor in seconds, long before Danny could make his way across the room to check on Randy, who was picking herself up gingerly.

"You okay?" Danny asked, meeting her eyes.

She nodded, looking shaken, but didn't speak.

Danny turned to Steve, who was cuffing Peters, and retrieved his gun from where it landed after Steve had knocked it away.

"Book him, Danno."

~//~

Miranda Darling had been scared to tell them what she suspected about Peters, it turned out; she'd been lying to him about her own 'screen-test' with Jim Ford and about Ford's interest in men, as they'd thought, so Peters wouldn't cause any trouble with her co-stars. 

She hadn't been convinced of his guilt in Roger's murder until Steve and Danny had returned to see him and he'd flipped and turned the gun on her, but she confessed the thought had briefly crossed her mind. She'd known he had a gun, and told Five-0 that he'd taken longer than usual to come for her the night of Roger's murder but hadn't wanted to believe he was guilty.

Peters himself was saying nothing, but the ballistics match on the gun he'd been caught with and that of the murder weapon had been conclusive.

There was no reason to think Peters wasn't guilty, nor that the motive was anything deeper than jealousy.

Danny and Steve went to inform Jack Shephard of the arrest. Shephard practically broke down on them, but he was grateful they'd solved the case so swiftly, and relieved that no one else had been killed in the process. As they were about to leave him, there was a knock on the door.

Shephard frowned, moving past Steve and Danny to open it. Jim Ford was standing outside, and his eyes widened at the sight of them with Shephard.

"Detectives," Ford said, almost deferentially, his eyes staying on Steve for a fraction longer than Danny was happy with, before he smiled tightly towards Shephard.

"Jim," Shephard greeted. "You know about the arrest?"

Ford nodded and licked his lips uncomfortably. "Just came to check whether you needed anything."

Steve cleared his throat and stepped forward. "We'll leave you alone to talk." 

He and Danny moved out the door between the two men, and Ford stepped towards Shephard behind them.

"Can I come in?" they heard him ask, and then, "Thank you. Actually, just a minute; I need to say something to the detectives."

Danny and Steve turned around and waited while Ford came down the steps towards them.

"I wanted to thank you, too," he said, holding out a hand towards Steve, who took it and shook it firmly. 

"You're welcome," Steve replied as he let go and Ford offered the hand to Danny.

Danny smiled tightly and shook the offered hand, surprised at the change in attitude. Ford had a firm, warm grip and he studied Danny's eyes as they let go, a touch of his previous manner in evidence. "Despite the hours you kept me in your very attractive interview room, I'm grateful that you got this one solved and I can finish the film without worrying there will be any repeat performances, so to speak."

"Just doing our job," Danny rolled out one of the standard responses, unsure of Ford's sincerity. 

Ford glanced up at Shephard, waiting in the doorway, and nodded. He turned to give Steve another look, like he was going to add something, but then shook his head slightly and headed back towards the door of the house. Shephard straightened up from where he'd been leaning on the doorjamb and stepped aside to let Ford past.

Steve and Danny watched them go inside and shut the door, and then moved to the Camaro. Getting inside, Danny asked, "You think those two have been…?"

"It's possible," Steve said, shrugging slightly, but Danny got the distinct impression Steve was avoiding his eye on purpose rather than just attending the road.

"You want to grab a beer; maybe watch a movie or something tonight?" Danny asked.

Steve sighed heavily. "Yeah, that sounds good. I need to get my truck from HQ, but I'll get beer and a couple of steaks to eat at my place if you want?"

"Perfect," Danny agreed. "I'll pick up a DVD or two on my way over."

~//~

Danny wasn't sure what made him go into the adult section of the video hire place, because he wasn't normally the sort of guy who took his jerking-off material into another man's house – nor was he sure Steve would approve – but something made him certain he'd find one of Jim Ford's old movies there.

The name was different, but the dimpled smirk was identical. 'Tom Sawyer' was undoubtedly the star of the movie, and although there were several busty girls in half-naked poses on the cover of the well-worn DVD, there were also some very well-muscled dudes with him on one of the pictures on the back of it. The wording was just ambiguous enough to convince Danny there might be more than pure straight action going on at the 'masquerade ball' that apparently featured prominently in the movie.

For a few seconds he wondered how Steve would feel about him watching it, and he almost returned it to the shelf, but curiosity won over in the end. He found a couple of no-brainer action flicks with far less thought put into the choice than he probably should have before checking all three out and heading for Steve's. He threw the Ford porn into the glove compartment before heading inside at Steve's, and promptly forgot all about it.

Steve seemed a little more subdued than usual, but otherwise the evening was pretty much standard for them, and Danny relaxed into the couch beside him with pleasure as they watched both DVDs he'd chosen. Of course Steve had to point out all the inaccuracies in the military scenes in one, and Danny returned the favor in the police scenes of the other.

It was late when Danny got up to leave, and Steve hovered in the doorway like he had something on his mind, but didn't say anything until Danny had given up waiting to hear whatever it was and flipped a wave as he took a step away from the door.

"I didn't think it…"

Danny turned back around and squinted at Steve. "Hmm?"

Steve looked uncertain, biting at his lip. "Never mind." He scrubbed a hand through his hair and waved Danny off. "I'm just glad it wasn't him."

"Me too, babe." Danny knew who Steve was talking about and wondered again if there was more to what had happened between him and Ford than Steve was letting on. "Even if he is an arrogant jerk."

"He isn't all bad, Danny. You saw his face this afternoon. He does care about the people around him, for all that he likes to jerk some of them around."

"Yeah, I saw. I wouldn't be surprised if he was comforting Shephard tonight, whether he's been with him before or not. And the way Shephard spoke of him…"

"He wasn't as oblivious to Jim's charms as he liked to pretend."

"It did cross my mind."

Steve huffed a laugh. "I can't say I'm surprised. But you didn't believe it was him either, did you?"

"In all honesty? No. Your instincts are usually enough for me, although... I did wonder if your past with him had clouded your judgment in this case."

"You see a lot, don't you?"

"I'm a cop; it comes with the territory."

"Yeah," Steve said and nodded before stepping back into the house and closing the door.

Danny frowned, wondering, but shrugged to himself and headed for his car, reluctant to follow his thoughts to any kind of conclusion.

~//~


	9. Porn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny watches one of Ford's old movies and sees something that makes him react in a way he doesn't expect.

Danny had almost forgotten about the porn movie until he got home and went to pick up the DVDs from the seat where he'd dumped them upon leaving Steve's. Opening the glove compartment, he pulled the DVD out and took it with him.

Once inside his front door, he studied the masked men on the back cover once more. There was one guy at the back who had Steve's sort of build, but he was behind a couple of the others and it was impossible to tell how much of role he played in the film.

In all honesty, Danny didn't feel tired, despite the late hour, and he figured he may as well get comfortable and see what Ford's porn did for him. Stripping off and loading the DVD into his player, he settled into his bed and turned on the TV screen, not in the least surprised at the porn music that immediately started playing.

The first few scenes before the masked ball that was the main 'attraction' of the film were fairly tame and pedestrian, although the voluptuous brunette that Ford got it on with in one scene had Danny feeling horny enough to reach for something to clean up with should he need it.

The image changed to a group of three guys – clearly college students from the bad dialogue going on – already masked and half-naked; two of them lying on a bed smoking what was clearly supposed to be dope, and the third standing with his back to the camera in a closet doorway, like he was searching for trousers to go with the tight t-shirt and jock strap that were all he was wearing aside from the mask covering most of his head. Danny couldn't help admiring the tight ass-cheeks; much as he didn't routinely do so, he had been known to admire guys' bodies now and then.

There was a knock on the door of the room in the film and the two boys on the bed jumped up, opening a window and making to disperse the heavy smoke hanging in the room. The guy at the closet nodded briefly in their direction and then opened the door.

Danny frowned, watching the way the guy moved, and then grinned as Ford appeared in the open door, no mask in sight.

"Hey boys, you look set for the ball," he told them, his eyes traveling up and down the half-dressed body of the youth in front of him.

"Uh, yeah…" one of the others said as he and his friend crowded towards the door, pushing the one in the doorway with his back to the camera out of view for a moment. "Catch you there later, huh? We gotta go find Maria and Kelsey."

"Don't hurry on my account," Ford told them, shutting the door behind them and moving closer to the first guy, who was leaning back against the wall beside the door and eyeing Ford through the holes in his mask with dark and hungry-looking eyes. It was impossible to see what he looked like properly, although there was something about the curve of his lip below the mask that seemed familiar…

As Ford neared the guy, the camera angle changed and there was a close-up of Ford's hand stroking up one of his arms. Danny's mouth dropped open at the sight of a tattoo he recognized all too well. He was frozen to the spot as the angle changed again and Ford's lips met the other man's, his tongue worming its way inside. Steve's reaction – and Danny had absolutely no doubt that it _was_ Steve – was unmistakably one of more than just acceptance. He was eagerly responding to the kiss, and pushing at Ford's clothing like he wanted him naked.

Danny's cock throbbed; he couldn't believe what he was seeing and yet… yet he'd had an inkling that something like this must have happened; he just hadn't wanted to believe it.

He gulped as Ford manhandled Steve – the man was a little taller than Steve and probably built even better than Steve at the time of the movie, going by what little Danny could see of Steve's body. He'd already seen Ford's in all its glory earlier in the film. Steve ended up on the bed on his stomach, his underwear off but the t-shirt and mask still in place as Ford sat down beside him.

Pressing down on his insistent erection, Danny felt vaguely guilty for witnessing this. He didn't find Ford's body off-putting, but his smirking expression as he rolled Steve over and wrapped a hand around Steve's very firm dick was arrogant enough to make him just a little uncomfortable, and also somewhat concerned about Steve's welfare. Steve's expression was hard to judge properly under the mask, but he was gulping out things like, 'please' and 'I can't' while Ford was murmuring 'you know you want it' and 'yes, you can', which didn't exactly mollify Danny's worry.

"Suck it for me," Ford said next, and stood up at the end of the bed. 

Steve's tongue shot out from his mouth and licked his own lips as he shuffled closer and sat up, gazing up at Ford's face as the man began feeding him his cock.

A surge of lust shot through Danny and he let out an involuntary groan as Steve's mouth began work on the flesh inside it in earnest. It looked odd with the mask covering the upper half of Steve's face, but also very hot somehow.

_Christ!_

Danny's throat felt dry and heat started to build up in his chest and neck, working its way higher as he began to stroke his own very rigid dick. He knew he shouldn't be doing this; should not find this so much of a turn-on, considering who was doing what to whom and how Danny had tried so damned hard _not_ to think of them doing something like this in the whole time since he'd met Ford.

After a few minutes of the bad porn music and sound effects accompanying the sight of Steve giving what appeared to be very satisfactory head to Ford, the scene changed again. Ford pushed Steve off, panting like he was close to the edge, and growled "Turn over, kid."

Steve pulled away from the edge of the bed, nodding, and flipped. His dick was as hard as Ford's still was, and Danny gulped as it disappeared under him and Ford lowered himself onto the bed once more.

As so often happens in porn, the condom was suddenly on Ford's cock and he was sliding the sizeable organ into Steve's nicely presented asshole before Danny was able to blink. He squeezed his own cock, delaying orgasm as he watched Steve push back against every thrust with apparent pleasure.

Another change a few minutes later had Steve on his back this time and Ford pushing the t-shirt Steve still wore up his perfect abdomen as he re-entered Steve's body and began sliding in and out. Steve curled towards him, his own hand wrapping around his impressive erection as Ford leaned down to bring their lips together again.

Danny felt a twinge of anger as he watched, though his own orgasm was still building. The kiss ended and Ford groaned, pounding into Steve harder as Steve writhed under him, his hand moving faster and faster until the inevitable happened. Danny blinked sweat out of his eyes, watching the white creaminess pumping out of Steve's cock and all over his spasming stomach.

Ford slowed down again, whispering, "Yeah, yeah, that's it, baby; so good," in typical porn style.

Danny was too far gone to care any more; Steve's orgasm had short-circuited his brain and he let out a low moan as his own climax overtook him. As Danny reached for the cloth he'd placed on the night-stand and collapsed back against the pillow behind him, Ford drew out of Steve. With the magic of porn, the condom disappeared and Ford began milking his own come all over Steve's belly, his free hand holding him off Steve's body as he grinned down at him. Steve was smiling as he gulped in air and it was impossible to believe that it had been anything but enjoyable for him. His mask had very conveniently stayed in place throughout.

Pressing the pause button for a moment, Danny drew in a deep breath, wiping at his body and shaking his head at how incredibly arousing the whole thing had been for him. He wouldn't have believed it was possible if he hadn't got the proof of it wrapped up in the damp cloth he now held.

Licking his lip, Danny pressed play again and watched the scene to its conclusion. Steve pulled his underwear back on and Ford found the jeans he'd discarded when he'd stood up to allow Steve to suck his cock, smirking sexily at Steve on the bed as he dressed. Then Steve stood up and the two men kissed briefly but sloppily before Ford left the room, whistling a jaunty little tune as he left.

His parting words to Steve's character were "See you later, Hot Stuff. Glad you're still coming to the ball, even if you already came for me."

It was stupid and way beyond corny, but Danny found himself fast forwarding the on-screen action in the hopes he'd see Steve again. He didn't want to admit it, but a part of him wanted to see Ford fuck him again. But that appeared to be Steve's only moment. The rest of the action was decidedly heterosexual, except for the obligatory lesbian scene that Danny normally would have found quite hot, but somehow tonight, it couldn't hold a candle to seeing Steve in orgasmic delight.

He flicked off the TV at the end, glancing at the clock before collecting the cloth he'd cleaned himself up with and heading for the shower. It was after midnight and suddenly Danny felt exhausted; the knowledge of what Steve had done with Ford all those years ago had hit him like a ton of bricks, as well as turning him on beyond all reason.

Closing his eyes in the shower, Danny was disturbed to realize he could picture the scene as easily as if he was still viewing it, and his dick was trying to go hard again at the image in his head.

"Quit that," he told it, scrubbing perfunctorily at the crustiness already forming on his body. He finished the shower in double-quick time and found himself yawning as he hit the bed at last.

~//~


	10. Unmasked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny comes to some realizations, and Steve pays him a visit before he manages to return the porn movie to the store.

When he awoke in the morning, Danny wondered if he'd dreamt the whole porn movie for a few minutes, but flicking on the DVD player and fast forwarding to the scene in question confirmed that it had not been a figment of his imagination in the least.

He was unable to stop himself from savoring the whole scene over again, swallowing hard as his cock advised him in no uncertain terms that he was completely hooked on what he was seeing – with one very disturbing adjustment: he wanted to be in Ford's position.

It was too difficult to stop himself from repeating last night's solo performance, disgusted with himself though he was at the end of it. The horror of how he was going to face Steve after this – he could not be allowed to find out that Danny had jacked off to the scene – only hit him as he replaced the DVD in its package. He showered again and dressed, grabbing a quick breakfast as he decided he had to get the DVD back to the video store before he saw Steve again or he'd never be able to face him.

The whole thing had to have been a one-off for Steve. Danny thought about what he knew of Steve – his relationship with Catherine and his behavior around women as well as the way he'd acted during the investigation of Roger Rogers' death. He certainly hadn't been uncomfortable with the gay men, but he was equally as respectful of the women, so none of that cast any doubt on his heterosexuality, but the interaction between Steve and Ford that had disturbed Danny took on a very different meaning from what Danny had assigned to it now he knew they'd had sex, no matter how faked any of it had been.

Danny's own feelings about his physical response to the knowledge was mixed; on the one hand he was exhilarated that Steve's sexuality wasn't as fixed as he'd imagined; on the other, he was horrified that he'd reacted so strongly to an obvious homosexual scene with far more excitement than to any of the heterosexual ones in the movie. He couldn't ever remember that happening to him before, although he had to admit he hadn't exactly been turned off by such things, unlike some of his old buddies back in Jersey. He'd never have told them that, though.

And this was _Steve_. His partner at work; his best friend. Was there something in what people kept saying to them about being married? Danny hadn't ever thought on it too hard; maybe he'd been in denial? He couldn't quite wrap his head around it, but Steve's words last night – the ones he'd said as Danny was leaving – the ones that implied, now Danny thought about it, that Steve thought Danny had already worked out what had happened between him and Ford – seemed to confirm that Steve was not comfortable with that sort of thing any longer and that's why he hadn't said more.

A sort of disappointment coursed through Danny at the thought, but he swallowed it down; Steve was a friend and this was not something Danny thought he should be exploring with the guy if they hadn't already worked it out before now.

He picked up the DVDs and headed for the door to his apartment. As he opened the door, he almost jumped in fright; Steve was standing there, poised to knock, his eyes as wide as Danny was sure his own were.

"Jesus, Steve; give a guy a heart attack, why don't you?"

Steve widened his hands in confusion. "I had no idea you would open the door just then. What? You think I planned this?"

"Okay, so maybe you didn't. Something up? What brings you here this early?"

Steve quirked a grin. "It's not that early, Danno. I've been up for hours. Nothing's up; just thought you might feel like going on a hike with me. Uh... unless you're heading out somewhere already?" His eyes landed on the DVDs in Danny's hand and he frowned before Danny could say anything. "Thought we only had two movies last night? What's the other one?"

_Shit!_

"Some crap about a ball," Danny said before he could think of a valid answer that wouldn't have Steve more curious. "You probably wouldn't like it."

"A ball?" Steve asked, reaching for the DVDs. "Like a football or a baseball, or you mean a… Cinderella ball?"

Danny held the DVDs out of Steve's reach, backing up in the process. Steve followed him into the room, narrowing his eyes in question.

"Cinderella ball," Danny admitted, feeling the heat begin in his face.

Steve laughed. "You were watching a movie about a ball? What is it, porn?"

Danny swallowed hard, his heart thumping, as he failed to come up with a suitable reply.

"Oh my God… it is!" Steve sounded amazed, like he'd never imagined Danny would be interested in something so typically male. 

He moved faster than Danny was ready for this time, and twisted his arm, removing the DVDs and stepping away to look at them before Danny could get them back. 

There was no point even pretending any more.

Steve flipped over the two they'd looked at and stood still, his body tensing up as he took in the cover of the Ford movie. "Jesus," he let out, the word sounding low and defeated. 

Danny didn't say anything as he watched Steve turn it over and study the back cover. Finally, Steve looked up, his eyes not quite meeting Danny's. "Did you watch the whole thing?"

Danny found himself nodding, unable to lie; sure the knowledge of Steve's part was showing in his eyes.

Steve took a breath, held it for a second, and then let it out again audibly. "You saw." He swallowed hard, looking back at Danny. "I needed the money. The pay was good; really good. It was too hard to turn him down."

_He could be very persuasive._

The words rang in Danny's head, and he didn't have a clue what to say.

"I can understand if you're disgusted by what you saw, Danny. It's… I had a choice, and I chose to do it. If you asked me now if I'd have made that same choice given all I've done since then…"

"You don't have to explain it to me, babe. You really don't. You were wearing a mask; I doubt anyone who looked at this casually would know it was you."

" _You_ knew." The look that Steve now directed at him was accusing somehow, even though he'd admitted it without Danny saying anything.

"I _know_ you. Your tattoo…" Danny waved a hand vaguely in the direction of the one tattoo that he'd recognized in the movie. Most of the others had probably been added after the film was made. "Your body language…"

Steve's eyes sharpened somehow, but then he dropped them away again. "So now you know. I let Jim fuck me and I sucked his cock. It doesn't mean…" Steve stopped, looking back at the DVD again.

"I know. It doesn't mean you're gay. You did it for the money; you said so. A lot of guys go gay for pay. I mean… I've heard that." The embarrassment was creeping redly up Danny's neck again. "And… and it wasn't that bad. You… you seemed to enjoy it."

Steve looked back up again, his own face looking pinker than it had, and anger was brewing in his eyes. "I did. I got off; is that what you needed to know?"

"Steve, I-"

"No, Danny, no! A lot of that stuff is faked, but… you can't fake a hard-on, and…" Steve's eyes swiveled away again and he genuinely seemed to be fighting with the words he was uttering, though Danny didn't expect this kind of admission. "I actually came on camera. Jim loved that; said it was worth more because it looked better onscreen because it was _real._ "

"It did look real," Danny had to admit. "It was… it was hot."

Steve's eyes flew back to meet Danny's. "It was?"

Steve had admitted a lot; the least Danny could do was be as honest. "It was. I ummm… enjoyed it too."

Steve cracked a half-laugh, like he still didn't quite believe what Danny was saying. "You did?"

Danny put his hands in his pockets, looking away in discomfit, and nodded, rocking on the balls of his feet awkwardly.

"You're not serious?"

Danny stopped rocking and took his hands out of his pockets. "I'm deadly serious. Just tell me one thing, since we're being so honest."

Steve truly looked disconcerted; like he didn't for one moment consider that Danny might find his gay porn to be such a turn-on. "Anything."

"That… didn't look like your first time. I mean, you wouldn't, not onscreen like that, would you?"

Steve covered his mouth with a hand, the other still clutching the DVDs, and took another deep breath behind his fingers. Removing the hand, he looked right into Danny's eyes. He shook his head. "I screen-tested for Jim in private. Several times."

Danny wasn't sure how the knowledge made him feel. "Would you… I mean… if he asked… would you do it again, now?"

Steve's eyes dropped again and a flush rose over his cheeks. "No. Not… now. I might have a few years ago, but… things have changed."

"Catherine?" Danny guessed.

Steve huffed what could have been either a laugh or a snort; Danny wasn't sure which. "Danny, I never told you any of this because I thought it might make you uncomfortable, but…" He lifted his eyes again, and the honesty was so evident that Danny swallowed, scared of what Steve was about to say. "I met _you_. Catherine was… and still is… a good friend. We've been together at times because it takes the pressure off, and because we both like and respect each other, but we're not… it's not... I don't…" Steve, never at such a loss in Danny's experience, didn't seem to know how to word it.

_I met you._

"Are you telling me," Danny started cautiously, "that you… that what you did with Ford… that's the real you? And that you… you have feelings for me?"

Steve nodded, maintaining eye contact with Danny with some difficulty.

"You didn't think you could tell me?" Danny was angry, but he wasn't sure it was for the right reason.

"I wanted to," Steve admitted, shuffling the DVDs like he'd suddenly remembered they were still in his hands. He looked around for a moment and then put them down on the nearest flat surface: a bookshelf by the door. "I just didn't know if it would affect our friendship. I didn't want it to make things any harder."

"Harder?" Danny looked at Steve, studying the man he'd known for over three years like he hadn't ever really looked at him before. When he spoke again, his voice was soft. "Maybe it would have been easier."

Steve looked confused. "Easier? How?"

Danny raised his eyebrows. "Did you not hear me say how much I enjoyed watching that particular scene?"

"Yes, but… you and Rachel. Gabby. Other woman I've seen you looking at. You're not… gay; that's just… I don't know, a physical reaction. That happens to straight guys sometimes, doesn't it?"

"Are you scared of me, Steve?"

"What, no, scared? Why would I be?" Steve's eyebrows were arched in what definitely looked like fear to Danny as the man took a step backwards.

"I don't know; why don't you tell me?" Danny took a step forward, suddenly feeling brave.

Steve backed up further, holding both hands up, and licked his lips, looking around like he'd find a way out if he had to.

"Steve, I'm not about to molest you."

"I never said you were!" He looked shocked though, like none of this was what he wanted.

"It wouldn't just be a fuck, Steve. Not like with Jim Ford. He might have _wanted_ you; maybe he still does. But it wouldn't be anything like that with me. It'd mean a lot more." Danny hadn't even realized how true that was until he said it. "Is that what you're worried about?"

"It wouldn't?" Steve asked, lowering his hands. He looked cautiously optimistic. "More? I… I didn't want to believe that was possible. It's what I've wanted for… far too long."

Danny smiled at last, seeing Steve's smile slowly find its place on his face too.

"You, babe, definitely passed _my_ screen test. But the porn can wait. I wore myself out enjoying that scene already this morning." Danny grinned, suddenly not the least bit embarrassed. "And maybe we deserve to get to know some more of each other's secrets before we go there."

"I never thought my porn star moment would come back to haunt me _quite_ like this, but you know what?"

"What, babe?" Danny stepped closer, and this time Steve didn't back up.

"If this is how it ends, I think maybe I'd like to exchange more secrets, not to mention body fluids."

Danny purposely didn't allow himself too much thought about any of that before he moved. He pulled Steve's head down to his level and took possession of his lips with his own.

Steve murmured something incomprehensible as he kissed Danny back, and Danny could feel the tension leaking away from the man's body as Steve's arms surrounded him. 

The kiss was even better than Danny could have imagined; better than watching Steve have sex with some other guy, and way better than trying to deny what he was finally capable of admitting he felt for Steve. 

Danny knew that this was happening way faster than anything he'd remotely considered before, and it could change everything for both of them overnight. In fact, it might make everyone around them look at them differently - perhaps even treat them differently - but they could deal with that if they had to.

Somehow, it felt like the best decision Danny had ever made. 

~//~

END

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to everyone who read the story, especially those who left kudos and comments! Thanks, too, for your patience as this was posted. ;-)


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